*Photo from the Hastings Tribune*
Here's a breakout game early in the season. JJ Bleday drove in a run, Zack Gelof homered, and the Oakland Athletics defeated the Detroit Tigers with a 7-1 victory Sunday afternoon in Detroit.
The A's won their second straight game on Sunday to take the series against the Tigers, their first series win of the season. Gelof was the big star at the plate, as he fell a double shy of the cycle and had a 4 hit, 4 RBI day. He was 5-31 in the first 9 games of the season.
Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said of Gelof that "His plate discipline was going to get him going. It was a great result today with all of his at-bats. He’s working in the right direction right now. Big day for him."
Gelof gave the A's a 1-0 lead in the first inning as he hit an RBI triple that scored Abraham Toro. Bleday then scored Gelof on an RBI single to double the Oakland lead to 2-0. With Toro and Ryan Noda on base in the second inning, Gelof broke the game open with a 3 run home run to left field, making it 5-0.
In the 4th inning, Noda scored for the A's as Toro drove him in with an RBI single, making it a 6-0 lead for the A's. It stayed that way until the 8th inning, when Riley Greene got the Tigers on the board with a solo home run to make it 6-1. Seth Brown hit an RBI single in the 9th that scored Gelof to make it a 7-1 final score.
Getting the start for the A's was Joe Boyle, who pitched 5 scoreless innings and struck out 6 hitters. Kyle Muller gave up a run in 2 1/3 innings out of the bullpen before Lucas Erceg got the last two outs of the 8th inning. Michael Kelly pitched a scoreless 9th to close out the win.
Kotsay said of Boyle's start that "He made the pitches when he had to all day. That shows his competitiveness. But he’s also got to do a better job getting ahead of hitters. Getting into the strike zone early in counts. But he grinded through five and gave us a chance to win."
Jack Flaherty took the mound as the starter for the Tigers, getting the loss as he was tagged for 6 runs on 9 hits and a walk in 6 innings pitched. Alex Faedo worked two scoreless innings out of the bullpen before Alex Lange gave up a run in the 9th inning.
The Tigers get back in action on Monday as they start a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Reese Olson serving as the starting pitcher. The A's take on the Texas Rangers for their next series beginning on Tuesday, with Alex Wood set to be the starter.
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